Written Answers Friday 15 June 2007

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients were discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease in each year from 1996 to 2006, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The number of patients who were discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease in each year form 1996 to 2006, broken down by NHS board, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 42948).

Alcohol Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease in each year from 1996 to 2006 were offered (a) day treatment and (b) residential abstinence-based treatment for their condition, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The number of patients discharged from Scottish general acute hospitals, broken down by NHS board, with a diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease who were treated as day patients from 1996 to 2006, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 42949).

  It is possible that additional patients were treated as day patients within community-based services. No information is held about these patients.

  Information on the number of patients discharged from general acute hospitals and offered residential abstinence-based treatment or follow-on day treatment is not held centrally.

Armed Forces

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider issuing guidance to all bodies for which it has responsibility to ensure that recruitment shortages in the British armed forces do not lead to diminished public services through significantly increased recruitment activity by the armed forces in devolved areas.

John Swinney: We have no plans to issue such specific guidance.

Central Heating Programme

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been a reduction in the number of equipment suppliers with an employment base in Scotland since Scottish Gas took over the management of the central heating programme in October 2006.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  This information is not held centrally. However, Scottish Gas has continued to use the same main material supplier, based in Scotland, as used by the previous managing agent, since the start of the current contract in October 2006.

Council Tax

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue cost would be of implementing a council tax discount for pensioner households of (a) 10%, (b) 20%, (c) 25%, (d) 30% and (e) 50%.

John Swinney: Estimated costs for 2007-08, based on full collection rates, are contained in the following table:

  

Discount
Estimated Revenue Cost (£ Million)


10%
57.2


20%
114.4


25%
143.0


30%
171.6


50%
286.0



  Note: Estimates are derived from Family Resources Survey (FRS) data applied to a count of the number of properties in each council tax band). The FRS data relate to males 65+/ females 60+. Households with one pensioner and one non-pensioner adult are not included.

Deafblind People

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to address the issues facing Deafblind Scotland as a result of fund allocation changes.

Shona Robison: Deafblind Scotland continues to receive core funding under section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act. Funding under section 9 of that act for innovative training was provided for three years for the period from 2004-05 to 2006-07. Deafblind Scotland is working with the members of the Sensory Impairment Action Plan Steering Group to contribute to the development of National Occupational Standards for social care staff. It is likely that these national standards will inform future training and bids from Deafblind Scotland for further training of social care staff will be considered alongside all other bids.

Foster Care

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in considering the case for the payment of allowances to kinship carers.

Adam Ingram: I will be publishing a strategy for fostering and kinship care later this year, which will address the provision of support for kinship carers.

Further and Higher Education

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to widen access to higher education for young people.

Fiona Hyslop: Widening access to lifelong learning is a priority for the Scottish Executive. We recognise that this requires a long-term strategy and that significant activity is already taking place. We will be working with the Scottish Funding Council to ensure that within the widening participation strategy, Learning for All, there is a focus on those activities which are most effective. This will require partnership working with colleges, higher education institutions, the Funding Council and the four regional Widening Access Fora.

Further and Higher Education

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to widen access to higher education for disabled people.

Fiona Hyslop: Widening access to higher education is a priority for the Scottish Executive.

  We recognise that disabled learners are a distinct group with specific needs. The Scottish Funding Council’s widening participation strategy, Learning for All, and the first update of the report shows that disabled people are a key focus for the Executive in the promotion of equal opportunity. The four regional Widening Access Fora have been tasked with taking this work forward.

  We recognise the need to review our funding and student support mechanisms to ensure that they have been designed to best meet the needs of disabled people in higher education. The Scottish Funding Council have recently reviewed the Disabled Students Premium, this new mechanism will put the onus on the institutions to build capacity for disabled students. Officials in the Executive are currently reviewing the provision under the Disabled Students Allowance.

Further and Higher Education

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to accredit informal learning as a means of accessing further and higher education.

Fiona Hyslop: Many people acquire skills and knowledge throughout life that have not traditionally been formally recognised or accredited. The Executive recognises that Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will open up opportunities within further and higher education to a wider range of students.

  One of the aims of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) is to facilitate the recognition of this type of learning, either for career development and guidance purposes or for the allocation of SCQF level and credit which could be used to access further learning including further and higher education. The SCQF has launched guidelines and other support material on RPL to help and encourage learning providers to use the SCQF to recognise informal and non-formal learning.

  Decisions regarding entry qualifications to further and higher education are rightly matters for individual institutions. However the Executive will work with institutions, the Scottish Funding Council and the SCQF to encourage the further development and use of the SCQF’s RPL guidelines in order to encourage wider access to further and higher education.

Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will address the issue of temporary accommodation, in light of its responsibilities under the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003.

Stewart Maxwell: Powers under section 9 of the Homelessness etc. Scotland Act 2003 were exercised in 2004 to bring into force the Homeless Persons (Unsuitable Accommodation) (Scotland) Order 2004.

  As a consequence of this Order, local authorities placing homeless households with children or pregnant women into temporary accommodation must ensure that such accommodation complies with the standards set out in the Order unless exceptional circumstances (also defined in the Order) apply.

  Six-monthly official statistics bulletins on homelessness are published by the Executive, and the latest bulletin can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/03/12095510/0.

  Information on local authorities’ offers, and homeless households’ take-up, of temporary accommodation as well as monitoring of local authorities’ compliance with the order is reported in the bulletins.

Housing

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will encourage estate owners to make starter units available for new tenants.

Stewart Maxwell: My officials are in discussion with estate landowners to explore how they can play a greater role in the provision of affordable housing in rural areas where there is pressing housing need.

Housing

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it will commit to the provision of affordable homes in the forthcoming spending review.

Stewart Maxwell: Decisions on affordable housing investment beyond 2008 will depend on the outcome of the spending review later this year.

Housing

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist first-time buyers to get on to the property ladder.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will support first-time buyers to own a home.

Stewart Maxwell: We are acutely aware of the importance of meeting Scotland’s wide range of housing needs. We are looking carefully at potential action to help first time buyers. One of our key aims is improving measures to help more individuals and families who are currently excluded from the housing market by unaffordable prices. We are considering a range of measures to do this, including grants and a Scottish Housing Support Fund for shared equity provision.

Housing

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to support the Homestake shared ownership housing grant scheme.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is currently considering how best to support those who aspire to home ownership, but who are unable to become owner-occupiers with their own resources, and will look at the Homestake shared equity scheme in that context.

Housing

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to reduce housing waiting lists.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is acutely aware of the importance of meeting Scotland’s wide range of housing needs, and is currently taking stock of the action required to ensure that sufficient housing is available for those on housing waiting lists who are in need.

Housing

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would support a restricted occupancy policy, similar to that adopted by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, or a two-tier housing market structure, as is operated in Guernsey, to alleviate the shortage of affordable housing for local people.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is currently assessing a broad range of housing issues across the country and is aware of the pressures on affordable housing in some areas. It is for local planning authorities to determine whether they wish to employ specific planning measures in order to intervene in local housing markets.

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new homes are planned to be built in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009 and (d) 2010.

Stewart Maxwell: Eight thousand affordable housing units are expected to be approved under the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2007-08. Decisions on housing investment beyond 2008 will depend on the outcome of the spending review later this year. In addition, some social housing provision will be funded through other means, such as prudential borrowing.

  The Scottish Government does not hold information on the plans of private house builders over the specified period.

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that there are sufficient affordable homes for rent and sale.

Stewart Maxwell: We are currently taking stock of the wide range of actions needed to ensure that there are sufficient affordable homes. The government will consider all options for securing an effective supply of new housing, both for rent and for sale.

Housing

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will implement the single survey and purchasers’ information pack to improve the experience of house purchasing.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will monitor the success of the single survey and purchasers’ information pack.

Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-173 on 6 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Housing

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make the Homestake scheme available for all properties, in addition to new build, and, if so, when it will do so.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is currently considering how best to support those who aspire to home ownership, but who are unable to become owner-occupiers with their own resources, and will look at the Homestake shared equity scheme in that context.

Land

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average capital value per hectare is of development land in Scotland.

John Swinney: The value of land with planning consent for development varies over time with the locality and the type of planning consent. As an indicator of broad levels of value found in the Scottish property markets the Valuation Office Property Market Report 2007 records typical values of land for residential development and industrial and warehouse land values for Scotland. These values should be regarded as illustrative rather than definitive. A feature of the residential land market is the "lumpiness" of changes in value. It is difficult to establish exactly when significant movements in value occurred.

  Value of Land for Residential Development as at 1 January 2007

  

Region
Small Sites (for Less than Five Houses)
£ per Hectare
Bulk Land (Sites in Excess of Two Hectares)
£ per Hectare


Glasgow
1,500,000
2,750,000


Edinburgh
3,600,000
4,000,000


Aberdeen
2,750,000
2,500,000


Inverness
980,000
750,000


Dundee
1,000,000
650,000



  Industrial and Warehouse Land Values as at 1 January 2007

  

Scotland
Typical £ per Hectare


Glasgow
370,000


Edinburgh
350,000


Aberdeen
435,000


Inverness
420,000


Dundee
150,000

Older People

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will maintain and boost centres providing for older persons in need of care and support, such as the Laurandy Centre in Wick.

Shona Robison: Local authorities are responsible for providing or arranging services to meet the needs of the people in their areas. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people throughout Scotland receive the care services they need and has substantially increased resources to all councils in Scotland to enable them to deliver effective community care services in their area. We recognise the contribution that voluntary sector services such as the Laurandy Centre in Wick have to make in providing good quality care and support services for older people and are firmly committed to supporting the sector.

Olympic Games

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have been held with athletes regarding the proposal to have a separate Scottish Olympic team.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have been held with representatives of sports governing bodies regarding the proposal to have a separate Scottish Olympic team.

Stewart Maxwell: I intend to convene a meeting with stakeholders, including athletes and sports governing bodies, as soon as possible to discuss issues around Scotland’s representation on the world sporting stage. As part of this discussion we will consider the feasibility of a Scottish Olympic team.

Parkinson's Disease

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make prescriptions free of charge to those who are suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Shona Robison: We remain committed to our manifesto pledge to abolish prescription charges for people with chronic conditions. We are currently considering which health conditions will fall within the definition of "chronic condition" and will consult on that list in due course.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with learning disabilities living in private hospitals have an agreed discharge date, also expressed as a percentage of the total number of all people with learning disabilities.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people with learning disabilities living in private hospitals have an agreed discharge date.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with learning disabilities, excluding those in short-term assessment and treatment units, living in NHS-commissioned services and who are technically and legally NHS patients, do not have an independent landlord and housing rights.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the statement in The Same as You? that people with learning disabilities should not live in hospitals, what steps it is taking to monitor the position.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government receives quarterly progress reports from the remaining six health boards that have people with learning disabilities in long-stay NHS beds. Officials undertake regular visits to health boards and local authorities to review and confirm their programmes of closure in order to prevent further delays.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under the age of 65 with learning disabilities are living in nursing homes.

Shona Robison: Nursing homes are now classified as care homes under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, which enables providers to decide if they are providing care or nursing or a combination. In March 2006, there were 2,428 adults with learning disabilities who were under 65 in care homes.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with learning disabilities living in nursing homes have a personal life plan to help to decide whether alternative community-based housing and support options would be in their best interests.

Shona Robison: In 2006 a total of 6,723 adults with learning disabilities had a personal life plan. This is around 29 per cent of all adults with learning disabilities known across Scotland. Information on these individual’s accommodation is not held centrally.

Prescription Charges

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-177 by Shona Robison on 31 May 2007, whether it will extend the list of chronic conditions that entitle patients to free prescriptions and, if so, which additional conditions will be included.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering adding Parkinson’s disease to the list of conditions exempt from prescription charges.

Shona Robison: We remain committed to our manifesto pledge to phase out prescription charges. We are currently considering which health conditions will fall within the definition of "chronic condition" and will consult on that list in due course.

Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, those who have enhanced disclosure certificates for working with children will require a separate certificate for working with vulnerable adults and, if so, whether it will review this requirement.

Adam Ingram: Under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, individuals working with children or protected adults will be expected to become members of the new vetting and barring scheme and this will replace the need for enhanced disclosure certificates. People will apply for scheme membership to work in the regulated adults’ or children’s workforce or both, depending on the post or roles they undertake.

  For example, a person could apply to become a scheme member to work in the adults’ workforce, such as a care home for older people. If they subsequently wished to volunteer with the Scouts, they would apply to be a scheme member in respect of regulated work with children. There may be vetting information which is relevant to working with children and which is not relevant to working with adults. This information will need to be gathered and processed. This approach will ensure that information, which is relevant to each workforce is assessed to confirm that the person is not unsuitable. All aspects of the new vetting and barring scheme, once implemented, will be kept under review.

Schools

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will approve the application by the Education for Dumfries and Galloway (E4D&G) consortium to build or rebuild nine new schools in Dumfries and Galloway, including Heathhall Primary School, Lockerbie Primary School, Lockerbie Academy, Moffat "All Through" school and a new Roman Catholic primary school in Dumfries.

Fiona Hyslop: These schools are included in a PPP project which Dumfries and Galloway Council has been working up over an extended period of time, following an Executive offer of financial support which was first made in 2002. It is our intention to honour existing offers of financial support for school PPP projects even where, as in Dumfries and Galloway, they have yet to reach the construction phase.

  It is our intention to offer an attractive funding stream through a not for profit Scottish Futures Trust which we anticipate will squeeze out PPP for future proposals.

Scottish Executive Ministers

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the pension entitlements are of ministers.

John Swinney: Under The Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Scotland Parliamentary Pension Scheme) Order 1999 Statutory Instrument (SI) 1082, ministers who participate in the Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme are entitled to a pension, based on service and salary in respect of that position, payable from age 65. The Scottish Public Pensions Agency administers the Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme on behalf of the Scottish Parliament.

Student Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students (a) across Scotland and (b) in the Lothians are currently in receipt of young persons’ bursaries.

Fiona Hyslop: For the academic year 2005-06 (the latest year for which full data is available), there were 35,105 students across Scotland who were in receipt of Young Students Bursaries.

  The number of students from the Lothians who were in receipt of Young Students Bursaries (YSB) is highlighted in the following table.

  Students Receiving YSB Support, by Lothians Local Authority Areas, 2005-06

  

 
Students Receiving YSB Support


Total
4,170


East Lothian
475


Midlothian
415


West Lothian
895


Edinburgh
2,385



  Source: Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).

  Notes:

  Student numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest five.

  Students in the above table are those who lived in the Lothians prior to entry to higher education.

Student Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students (a) across Scotland and (b) in the Lothians are currently in receipt of full young students’ bursaries.

Fiona Hyslop: For the academic year 2005-06 (the latest year for which full data is available), there were 19,014 students across Scotland who were in receipt of the full amount of Young Students Bursaries (YSB).

  The number of students from the Lothians who were in receipt of the full amount of YSB is highlighted in the following table.

  Students Receiving Full YSB support, by Lothians Local Authority Areas, 2005-06

  

 
2005-06


Students receiving full YSB entitlement


Total
2,200


East Lothian
235


Midlothian
210


West Lothian
460


Edinburgh
1,295



  Source: Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).

  Notes:

  Student numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest five.

  Students in the above table are those who lived in the Lothians prior to entry to higher education.

Student Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish its plans for part-time student support.

Fiona Hyslop: We are currently reviewing student support for part-time study and will publish our findings and plans once we have carried out appropriate options appraisal and consultation with stakeholders.

  Outcomes of the review will depend on what support we decide will best meet the needs of the learners, employers and the wider economy. We will look to take account of review outcomes in spending review considerations.

Student Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish its plans for postgraduate student support.

Fiona Hyslop: We are currently reviewing student support for postgraduate study and will publish our findings and plans once we have carried out appropriate options appraisal and consultation with stakeholders.

  Outcomes of the review will depend on what support we decide will best meet the needs of learners, employers and the wider economy.

Student Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students are currently exempt from the graduate endowment, broken down by exemption category.

Fiona Hyslop: Information is not held centrally on the number of students in particular exemption categories. However, the percentage of students granted an exemption from paying the Graduate Endowment are as follows:

  2004-05 – 8,115 students were exempt (approximately 44%).

  2005-06 – 10,287 students were exempt (approximately 48%).

  2006-07 – Figures are not available at the present time. The Students Awards Agency for Scotland writes to these students in July 2007.

  Overall since the start of the Graduate Endowment 18,402 (approx 46%) of students were exempt.

Student Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) annual and (b) total cost will be of abolishing the graduate endowment.

Fiona Hyslop: From 2008-09, the Scottish Executive will lose projected income of £15 million (net) together with estimated administrative savings of £60,000 per year. There will also be a one-off write off of £225,000 of system development costs in 2008-09.

  There will be no further costs associated with this policy change as the loss of income will be factored into standing assumptions in the forthcoming spending review.

Student Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether plans to scrap the graduate endowment would have retrospective application.

Fiona Hyslop: I announced on the 13 June 2007 that our proposal is to have the legislation in force by 1 April 2008. If the parliamentary process is completed by this date, the legislation would not need to have retrospective effect.

Student Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish plans to abolish the student loans system and, if so, when.

Fiona Hyslop: I announced on the 13 June that I am actively engaged with my officials on our plans to abolish student loans and replace them with means tested grants. That work continues.

  We are committed to bringing forward accurately costed proposals in due course. As with all policies that have a financial aspect to them, the final decision will be subject to the spending review. Should our proposals require legislation, we will bring this forward to parliament for consideration in due course.

Student Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected cost is of abolishing the student loans system.

Fiona Hyslop: We are currently looking at the details of abolishing the student loans and replacing them with means tested grants. As part of this we will produce detailed costings of these prospects in due course. This information will then be used to inform decisions in the spending review.

Young People

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to involve the voluntary and commercial training sectors in addressing training needs for those young people referred to as NEETS.

Fiona Hyslop: National and local partnership working is key to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training in Scotland. This includes the involvement of the voluntary sector and commercial training providers, both of which are major deliverers of training programmes identified in action plans produced by local NEET partnerships.

  Specifically, both commercial training providers and the voluntary sector are involved in addressing the training needs of young people NEET via the national training programme, Get Ready for Work (GRfW), delivered by the Enterprise Networks and Careers Scotland.

Correction

The reply to question S3W-136 which was originally answered on 5 June 2007, has been corrected: see page 104 or http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-07/wa0612.htm.